NY Suburbs Of Dutchess, Rockland, Westchester Counties Not Spared From Irene's Wrath
SPRING VALLEY, NY (CBSNewYork) -- Tropical Storm Irene dumped barrels of water on Dutchess, Rockland and Westchester counties, knocking out power, flooding roads and even causing injuries and one fatality.
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Rockland County Executive Scott Vanderhoef said one person was killed and two others injured because of downed power lines in Spring Valley.
Also in Spring Valley, a good Samaritan was also electrocuted while trying to help a young boy who was stuck in a flooded roadway with downed power lines.
Ron Levine, spokesman for the Rockland County Emergency Operations Center, said the child got caught in the wires Sunday afternoon. The child was taken to a burn unit in Westchester and was listed in serious condition.
The child's father was also burned and taken to the hospital but has been treated and released.
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Vanderhoef warned drivers and pedestrians Sunday not to go into flooded roadways because of the hidden dangers that may be beneath the water and urged drivers to travel with caution.
Parts of the New York State Thruway are also closed from exit 8 to exit 20 northbound and from exit 24 to exit 12 southbound. Parts of the Palisades Interstate are also flooded and closed.
Officials also said Sunday that 44 homes had to be evacuated in Haverstraw because of exposed gas transmission lines. Vanderhoef said crews were on scene to help with the evacuation.
He also said there about 21,000 people without power.
The roof Garnerville Terminal collapsed during the storm, Vanderhoef also said. The Rockland County Technical Rescue team and local law enforcement are on scene assessing the damage.
In Dutchess County, Crystal Lake in Rhinebeck overflowed its banks and gushed onto Route 9 for the first time in years.
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At the Home Depot in Poughkeepsie, there was a run on wet/dry vacs and sump pumps. Sherwood Thomas said he's lucky he could get his hands on one.
"We got maybe two feet in there so I've got to get it out," said Thomas.
Others were not so lucky to have their water relegated to the basement. Stephen Ely carried his young children to safety through waist-high water to get out of their flooded home in Hyde Park.
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Flooding has also taken its toll in Hastings-On-Hudson in Westchester where the Hudson River is up about five feet above its banks.
Flooding did stop before water reached the railroad tracks.
In Mamaroneck in Westchester, the flood waters are slowly starting to recede, but several feet of water still made its way into businesses in the downtown area.
There are also reports of downed trees and power outages across Westchester.
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